Illinois basketball on business trip at Maui Invitational

MAUI, Hawaii — Sure, there was a sunset cruise on the second day on the island, but the Illini are in Hawaii on a business trip.

The Illinois men's basketball team begins a stretch of three games in three days at the Maui Invitational beginning at 10:30 p.m. (Central time) on Monday against No. 3-ranked Gonzaga.

Win or lose, Illinois (1-1) will play either Arizona or Iowa State on Tuesday before closing the tournament on Wednesday. The only other time the Illini could play three games in three days is the Big Ten Tournament.

"Toughness wins; experience wins," head coach Brad Underwood said. "It’s teaching guys how to hydrate and how to take care of your body and get the proper sleep. It’s an incredible venue to play a tournament and it’s not a vacation. It’s a business trip and understanding it’s the reason why we’re here. Yet, it’s an incredible opportunity and we’ll approach it that way and we’ll go out and do what Fighting Illini basketball is all about and be an everyday guy."

No. 1 Duke, No. 9 Auburn, Xavier, and San Diego State round out the field.

On Friday, Underwood said guard Trent Frazier was "day-by-day" after missing the Georgetown game because of a concussion.

The Illinois men's basketball team will play Gonzaga at 10:30 p.m. Central Time on Monday at the Maui Invitational.

CLAY JACKSON, HERALD & REVIEW

Freshman guard Ayo Dosunmu leads the Illini with 21.5 points per game and Andres Feliz is right behind, averaging 14.5 points. Both played more minutes and did good things against Georgetown.

“The one thing that Ayo and Dre have to do ... there’s a fine line between getting the ball in the paint, which we stressed. We’re actively trying to do that every possession," Underwood said. "We played good enough offensively. We had five or six shots altered or blocked that led to baskets at the other end. They did a great job of drawing the defense. Now they’ve got to spray it and get (Aaron Jordan) good looks."

With or without Frazier, the Illini have Gonzaga on Monday — the biggest test of the early season.

The Bulldogs (3-0) do a lot of the same things the Illini do: Get in transition and space the floor in the halfcourt.

“This is a team that’s obviously ranked in the top five and they’re ranked there for a reason," Underwood said. "They’re an elite offensive team and it starts with (Josh) Perkins at the point."

Gonzaga has five players who score in double figures, led by Rui Hachimura's 22.7 points per game. Underwood called Hachimura a "warhorse" and likened him to Wisconsin's Ethan Happ for his ability to shot fake.

Zach Norvell Jr. (17.7 ppg) is one of the top shooters in the country, Underwood said, and Brandon Clarke (16 ppg) is a "scary athlete"

"(Hachimura) catches the floor a lot and drives you and gets you off balance with shot fakes," Underwood said. "Clarke is the same way. Then you throw the fact in that they both run like deer — extremely fast — they get two or three baskets a game just in transition because they outrun other people’s bigs."

Filip Petrusev (12 ppg) and Perkins (11 ppg) both average double figures. There's a lot of ways for Gonzaga to score points, both in half-court sets and in transition.

"They’re one of those teams offensively that can run 45 to 50 different sets and create the matchup and create the space that they need," Underwood said.

The invitational is played at the Lahaina Civic Center with a capacity of 2,400 people. It's unlike other preseason tournaments, which are played in NBA arenas with half-full seats for most of the games.

“It’s unique because the gym is small," Underwood said. "It’s not an arena; it’s a gym. They clear it after every game. Half the arena is going to be Zags fan and half is going to be Illini fans. It gets rowdy, it’s competitive and fun and really, really loud. It’s a great basketball (venue). It’s one of the things I enjoy about this event."

Everything you need to know about the 2018-19 Illinois men's basketball season

DECATUR — Illinois men's basketball coach Brad Underwood touched on a variety of topics during the annual visit by the University of Illinois men's basketball coach to Decatur at Hickory Point Golf Club Banquet Facility on Thursday.

CHAMPAIGN — The torn ACL Adonis De La Rosa suffered in the waning moments of last season's loss to Buffalo in the Mid-American Conference semifinals was only a minuscule part of the pain he's had to bear as a college athlete.

CHAMPAIGN – On a dreary Tuesday with nothing special going on – no breaking news, no impending event, no big announcement – a notice was sent letting the media know Illini basketball coach Brad Underwood would be available at 3:30 in the afternoon.

Illinois vs. Gonzaga

WHEN: Monday, 10:30 p.m.

WHERE: Lahaina Civic Center, Maui, Hawaii

TV: ESPN2 (Jason Benetti, Bill Walton)

RADIO: Illini Sports Network

RECORDS: Illinois 1-1, Gonzaga 3-0

OF NOTE: This is the first trip to Maui for Illinois since 2012, where the Illini beat Butler to win the invitational. Guard Trent Frazier (concussion) missed the Georgetown game, and coach Brad Underwood said Frazer is "day-by-day."

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